Jon Cazares

In 2015, GCN’s very own Dr. Daliah Wachs contacted Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to create a Nevada Blood Donation day to help the state raise blood and awareness. From Wikipedia:

“Uniting with United Blood Services and the American Red Cross, Nevada Blood Donation Day held blood drives across the state and its success prompted the campaign to continue in 2016. During this year, blood shortages were being reported nationally. Dr. Daliah approached Governors in all 50 states to help proclaim state blood donation days, and United Blood Services, the American Red Cross and blood banks across the US joined forces to help bring this national campaign to light. By September 2016, the majority of states had proclaimed state blood donation days.”

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, National Blood Donation Week (NBDW) has been declared for September 4th - 10th with most states adopting Friday the 8th as their State’s National Blood Donation Day.

Dr. Dahlia writes, “It’s been amazing seeing both Democratic and Republican governors unite, following Governor Sandoval's lead. We're hoping to bring in thousands of pints of blood throughout the country. Thank you!!”

Research shows that one pint of blood can save up to three lives. To find a blood drive near you go to the American Red Cross “Find a Drive” link here.

And if one pint of blood has the potential to save three lives. Imagine what the whole country can do.

This fall, approximately one hundred million U.S. kids will attend elementary, middle and high school. Ahhh -- school. We were there once. We remember the collision of boys, girls, stress, homework, peer pressure, sports, academic clubs, social clubs, cliques, teachers and the number 2 pencil.

And, of course, we remember the dress code.

Dress codes have been a topic for public debate for as long as I can remember. All schools have some form of dress code, in fact many private schools have mandatory school uniforms. I believe it is safe to say that all dress codes are pretty universally gender biased and, frankly -- really odd -- The Atlantic -- Your 11 Weirdest Dress Code Rules.

Personally, I never had to suffer a strict dress code but many kids have it forced upon them.

Mandatory uniforms have issues as well but their are a whole lot of smart folks that believe a uniform honestly helps students and educators alike.

Let’s take a quick look at both options -- the mandatory uniforms and the more general used overly strict dress code and then finally, the school that gets it right.

Some of the most common Pros and Cons of a school mandatory uniform.

Keeps students focused on education, not on the clothing they wear - vs. - Crushes individuality and promotes conformity.

I’m not one to conform so I might be biased here but I am on the side of individuality. Looking back on my time in public high school I can’t imagine certain friends not in their heavy metal tee shirts or not being able to wear their skater punk gear or not rocking their mohawk or not dyeing their hair or not being able to wear their cheerleader uniform as their daily outfit.

The entire idea just seems absurd to me!

BUT -- if uniforms did indeed keep kids focused more on education and did indeed, significantly increase student grades and improve their quality of education then I could probably be convinced that uniforms are the way to go. That being said, it appears that modern research (within the last decade) has found the opposite.

One such -- a 2009 peer-reviewed study found, "no significant effects of school uniforms on performance on second grade reading and mathematics examinations, as well as on 10th-grade reading, mathematics, science, and history examinations... In many of the specifications, the results are actually negative.”

Ryan Yeung, "Are School Uniforms a Good Fit?: Results from the ECLS-K and the NELS," Educational Policy, Nov. 2009

School uniforms reducing peer pressure, shame and bullying by creating a level playing field in regard to clothing - vs. - School uniforms do not stop bullying and may increase violent attacks.

It would be great if school uniforms reduced peer pressure and shaming because Lord knows kids are cruel to each other and that bullying is a painful, real thing that affects hundreds of thousands of children.

Sadly, it appears as if the research suggest that uniformed kids do not experience less bullying and in fact, in several studies of specific districts, bullying and violence increase. A 2007 peer-reviewed study concludes, "school uniforms increased the average number of assaults by about 14 % [per year] in the most violent schools.”

Most parents and educators support school uniforms -vs - Students f**king hate uniforms!

Students do indeed seem to f**king hate school uniforms to the tune of 85-90 percent! Whereas the surveys I’ve read suggest parents and educators are less polarized but generally favorable to uniforms. Depending on the specific survey or research, parents and teachers are about 60-65 percent favorable.

Who’s right there? I don’t know. I would probably err on the side of -- let the kids and the parents decide what is appropriate for their child to wear or not.

And, of course -- The push for school uniforms is driven by commercial interests rather than educational ones.

Like many things in a consumer driven life, marketing and money are the sole reasons behind that thing existing. The school uniform business is a one billion dollar industry in the US alone. JC Penny’s and Sears spend millions of dollars in marketing for specific regions and target parents in order to get that school uniform business.

They even have lobbyists. In Washington. Working to keep school uniforms in place and in business. So, if you’re against school uniforms for your kids -- you have that working against you.

Perhaps late satirist George Carlin said it best, "Don't these schools do enough damage, making all these children think alike? Now they're gonna get them to look alike, too?"

Well played, Mr. Carlin.

What if my school doesn’t have a mandatory uniform policy but DOES have a ridiculously overly critical dress code policy?

Yes. I was just getting to that!

Schools who do not push a mandatory uniform usually have a dress code policy. A very strict dress code policy. Without a standard uniform, a lot of schools, it seems, want to over mandate the dress code policy to create -- well -- a uniform look.

Strict dress code policies are shockingly sexist. From overly strict (and sometimes racist) ways a young girl can style their hair to punishing them for wearing a skirt that shows **gasp** their knees! All because that would be too distracting for the boys. The typical story -- boys are not responsible for their rapey thoughts because girls just show too much damn knee skin!

Sadly, I write nothing new. There are quite literally hundreds of thousands of articles online about sexist school dress code policies and abominable behavior from adults enforcing punishment for violations. Here is a great piece on Time.com by Laura Bates, How School Dress Codes Shame Girls and Perpetuate Rape Culture. Bates is the founder of The Everyday Sexism Project and the author ofEveryday Sexism. Her project collects testimonies from girls and young women from all over the world; sharing their experience of gender inequality.

There are so many stories of harassment, shame and punishment revolving around “dress code infractions” that Bates concludes, “At this point it starts to feel like such ‘codes’ are less about protecting children and more about protecting strict social norms and hierarchies that refuse to tolerate difference or diversity.”

So, what’s a parent and educator to do? Mandatory uniform or dress code policy. You get one or the other.

Well, the fine folks over at Evanston Township High School, in Evanston, Illinois have made national news by reworking their existing dress code. Evangeline Semark, Director of Communications for ETHS writes,

“This summer, a team of committed adults worked on revising our school's dress code. This effort was informed by the well-voiced concerns of our students and was in alignment with our equity goals and purpose. As we reworked the dress code, we also reflected on the stories of ETHS graduates who have walked our halls previously and experienced micro-aggressions (or worse) on a daily basis because of their personal style ...

A school can never consistently enforce some of the more nuanced, coded rules, so the result is too often a targeted policing of particular bodies (insert institutional racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc. here). I'm looking forward to seeing the interactions among school employees and teens at ETHS shift from "take off your hat!!" to "how are you today?!" We may not get it right all the time during the first year (adult habits), but this new dress code will lead to an important shift in school culture, and will help affirm the identities of all students while reframing the focus to how we as adults can inspire young people to learn, not control what they wear.”

That sounds great and I would be really happy to hear all of that if I had kids that went to ETHS. But it’s also very easy to say these things. Enforcement of said policy and violations is also important to the process. Lots of other sources have reported some of the great things about the ETHS policy but since I don’t have a maximum word count I’ll just reproduce the entire dress code policy including their enforcement policy. It’s only an extra page and a half.

From the Evanston Township High School Student Pilot Handbook:

Evanston Township High School expects that all students will dress in a way that is appropriate for the school day or for any school sponsored event. Student dress choices should respect the District’s intent to sustain a community that is inclusive of a diverse range of identities. The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their parent(s) or guardian(s). The school district is responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student, and that dress code enforcement does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type/size. Any restrictions to the way a student dresses must be necessary to support the overall educational goals of the school and must be explained within this dress code.

Basic​ ​Principle:​ ​Certain​ ​body​ ​parts​ ​must​ ​be​ ​covered​ ​for​ ​all​ ​students​ ​at​ ​all​ ​times. Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, breasts, and nipples are fully covered with opaque fabric. However, cleavage should not have coverage requirements. All items listed in the “must wear” and “may wear” categories below must meet this basic principle.

2) Students​ ​Must​ ​Wear​, while following the basic principle of Section 1 above:

A​ ​Shirt​ (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), AND

Visible waistbands on undergarments or visible straps on undergarments worn under other clothing (as long as this is done in a way that does not violate Section 1 above).

4) Students​ ​Cannot​ ​Wear:

Violent language or images.

Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity).

Hate speech, profanity, pornography.

Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups.

Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and visible straps are allowed)

Swimsuits (except as required in class or athletic practice).

Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon.

Any item that obscures the face or ears (except as a religious observance).

​Dress​ ​Code​ ​Enforcement

To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of this dress code, school staff shall enforce the dress code consistently using the requirements below. School administration and staff shall not have discretion to vary the requirements in ways that lead to discriminatory enforcement.

Students will only be removed from spaces, hallways, or classrooms as a result of a dress code violation as outlined in Sections 1 and 4 above. Students in violation of Section 1 and/or 4 will be provided three (3) options to be dressed more to code during the school day:

Students will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing, if already available at school, to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.

Students will be provided with temporary school clothing to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.

If necessary, students’ parents may be called during the school day to bring alternative clothing for the student to wear for the remainder of the day.

School staff shall not enforce the school’s dress code more strictly against transgender and gender nonconforming students than other students.

Students should not be shamed or required to display their body in front of others (students, parents, or staff) in school. “Shaming” includes, but is not limited to:

kneeling or bending over to check attire fit;

measuring straps or skirt length;asking students to account for their attire in the classroom or in hallways in front of others;

calling out students in spaces, in hallways, or in classrooms about perceived dress code violations in front of others; in particular, directing students to correct sagged pants that do not expose the entire undergarment, or confronting students about visible bra straps, since visible waistbands and straps on undergarments are permitted; and,

accusing students of “distracting” other students with their clothing.

These dress code guidelines shall apply to regular school days and summer school days, as well as any school-related events and activities, such as graduation ceremonies, dances and prom.

Students who feel they have been subject to discriminatory enforcement of the dress code should contact the Associate Principal for Educational Services.

GenCon. Sixty thousand attendees. Several thousand unique role playing games, table top board games and PC and console computer games. Several hundred vendors & dealers from all over the world running free demos of their games and selling more bloody games than you can shake a stick at. GenCon is the largest tabletop game convention in the world and this year marks its fiftieth anniversary.

But it wasn’t always the behemoth game convention it is today. In fact, Gen Con’s origin story is quite humble. And it all starts with the father of Dungeons and Dragons himself -- Mr. Gary Gygax.

Gary Gygax is the co-creator of the well known role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons but a few years before he helped write D&D, he was known in the small, but fierce, miniature tactical war gaming scene. I don’t want to get bogged down detailing too much Gygax history, instead I want to focus more on the history of GenCon. But they do intertwine. Here is an excellent piece detailing Gygax’s life and the history of D&D -- Wired’s, Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax.

GenCon, was named after Lake Geneva, where Gygax lived. To my understanding there are no known pictures of GenCon O where Gygax invited some friends over to his pad, and they played miniature tactical war-games. For those unfamiliar with the idea -- a game involving two six sided dice and a whole bunch of miniature soldiers. Players took turns moving the miniatures closer to the opposing player and then using dice rolls to determine if a soldier “hit” or “missed” with its attack. This process repeats until one side has no soldiers left.

The following year Gygax decided to shell out fifty bucks and rent a room in his hometown’s Horticultural Hall, charging folks $1 to attend. The first official GenCon was born! Gygax made just enough money from attendance to cover the cost of renting the hall.

(GenCon 1, 1968)

From then on GenCon increased in attendance -- almost every year. There was a dip in attendance here and there but for the most part, a steady incline. Through word of mouth, people came from all over WI and then from near by states -- to game. For almost the entire first decade of GenCon it was at the Horticultural Hall in Lake Geneva, but once or twice was held elsewhere.

It wasn’t until Gygax and Dave Arneson co-create Dungeons & Dragons, that the convention really took off. D&D wasn’t a typical miniature tactical war game. It had a lot of similar aspects - you roll dice to determine specific outcomes and there was a lot of strategy involved in the combat but there was a huge, important distinction between the two -- in D&D you got to create and play -- a character. You could create an elf, or a dwarf or you could become a warrior or a rogue or a magic user. And the more times you played your character, the tougher that character became! This idea of "a character" and the advancement of your character become the core of all role playing games to follow.

Gygax formed Tactical Studies Rules (TSR, inc) to publish the smash hit D&D, modules for D&D, supplemental material and even a magazine about D&D called, "The Dragon" -- later changed to "Dragon." D&D sold out again and again and again. And more people kept coming to Gary Gygax’s GenCon to play D&D. GenCon quickly outgrew the Horticultural Hall and for several years was run at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside. The attendance of the convention had grown to two, sometimes three thousand people. And not just to play D&D, there were other role playing games (RPG) that appeared -- Boot Hill (a western RPG co-created by Gygax), Champions (super hero RPG), Gamma World (post apocalyptic RPG), Star Frontiers (Space opera RPG), Top Secret (spy thriller RPG) and many others. (Yes, I've played them all!).

But D&D was always the largest, the most well know and, sadly, the most targeted. Religious organizations all over the country spoke out against D&D claiming it was the work of the devil and that it taught children how to cast magic spells and consort with demons and / or would possess your child. Fear mongering, religious silliness, all of it.

Dave Arneson, co-creator of D&D had a charming response to the controversy: “Invite parents to play. They’re going to be so bored. They will understand that anything this nerdy can’t possible lead to devil possession.”

Dave Arneson for the win.

But the bad publicity only got more kids interested and in the mid eighties D&D was so popular the number of folks attending the premiere D&D convention in the country, GenCon, doubled.

The University of Wisconsin, Parkside was unable to house so many attendees. A new venue had to be found. STAT!

Throughout its early years GenCon expanded into other states - GenCon South (FL), GenCon East (NJ), GenCon West (CA) and even to other continents but none of them lasted more than a few years. GenCon Midwest kept growing.

Enter MECCA. An actual convention center for a convention that started, figuratively speaking, in Gary Gygax’s basement. Now, with room to expand at the MECCA, attendance rapidly doubled from five to ten thousand.

By 1992, GenCon’s twenty-fifth birthday, I had finally heard about it. I had been gaming since kindergarten -- approx. 1978. I started with D&D, then moved on to the superhero role playing game, Champions, and then later in high school was introduced to the horror themed role playing game, Call of Cthulhu -- based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft.

By 1993 I was attending GenCon. From that point on, year after year, friends and I would make the drive to beer scented Milwaukee for a week of games. It was glorious. Attendance at the con was now fifteen to twenty thousand strong. Then, in 1997 a company called, Wizard’s of the Coast bought GenCon from TSR.

By then, Gary Gygax was old and very ill and had not been in charge of TSR for a long time. So, he really had nothing more to do with the convention he created.

Wizard’s of the Coast was the company that created the extremely popular customizable card game, Magic: The Gathering. In 1999, Hasbro bought Wizard’s of the Coast. So now the multinational toy and board game company that created the iconic Monopoly board game, owned GenCon. BUT THEN -- in 2002, Peter Adkison, former CEO of Wizard’s of the Coast, buys GenCon from Hasbro. So the convention is back in the hands of a gamer. A very, very rich gamer. (Adkison continues to own GenCon).

The convention continued to grow and by 2002 it was clear that Milwaukee no longer had the hotel capacity to house the twenty-five or thirty thousand attendees.

GenCon moved to Indianapolis. The very same city home of the Indy 500, which boasts one hundred thousand attendees so, of course the city should be easily able to absorb GenCon’s "meager" thirty thousand gamers. And then GenCon expanded. Suddenly it was not only at the Indy Convention Center, it’s was also at all the surrounding hotels and halls and expo centers and every single scrap of open building space within a several block radius of the ICC.

GenCon Indy quickly went from thirty thousand attendees to forty and now sixty. Every August, sixty thousand gamers descend on Indy for one week to hang out with other gamers and play games. Sixty thousand people have put tens of billions of dollars, possibly more, into the Indy economy.

And it’s all because Gary Gygax started GenCon 0 in 1968. In his basement.

Which brings me to the end. I am packing and will be off to GenCon soon. I have games to play. I have friends to see. Friends from other states that I only get to visit with once a year, at GenCon. In fact it’s safe to say that the overwhelming majority of friends I have is because Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created D&D.

Most of the long term friends I have -- I met at gaming halls, or game conventions, or game days in the basement of a VFW, or in the gaming section at a bookstore or at an actual game store. Perhaps role playing games would have evolved, without Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Perhaps they would have evolved another way from other people.

It’s very likely. But, it doesn’t matter because it did evolve from Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and Dungeons and Dragons. And it's because of those three names that I’m a gamer. And that’s why I’m going to GenCon.

Gary Gygax died in 2008, Mr. Arneson in 2009, both from complications of cancer. I never met either one. But their legacy lives on. D&D is now in its fifth edition. It's published in dozens of languages all over the world. And it will be heavily featured this year at GenCon 50.

And I will be there, at GenCon -- where it will be just me -- and sixty five thousand of my closest friends.

Mr. Gygax, Mr. Arneson -- rest in peace.

And thank you, for the imagination. And the stories. And the memories -- past and future.

According to recent reports, IMAX will reduce the amount of 3-D films shown in their theaters. With second quarter earnings down a significant percentage from a prior-year period IMAX executives will restructure the way they present tent pole flagship Hollywood films.

In a conference call with The Wrap, CEO of IMAX, Greg Foster said:

“We’re looking forward to playing fewer 3-D versions of films and more 2-D versions … which customers have shown a strong preference for (2-D),” Foster added, mentioning that Warner Bros. “Blade Runner 2049” will be shown in 2-D exclusively at IMAX theaters when it opens in October weekend.”

That’s all well and good. But does it really mean that 3-D is dying, or dead?

Probably. More directors are shooting on the 70mm IMAX cameras and if the company itself is dropping 3-D in favor of 2-D then, yes, I would say there is a strong possibility that 3-D is going the way of the dodo.

I for one, am happy to hear this. I know you will be able to find plenty of love for 3-D, usually in today’s youth. And I will admit to watching a 3-D movie, from time to time -- but only once by choice. A couple of times someone bought me a ticket for a 3-D movie. I thanked them and watched said film in 3-D.

A couple of times I read movietickets.com wrong and didn’t realize I was showing up for a 3-D version and decided to see it so as not to wait for the next 2-D showing at a much later time.

I felt, much as the way you probably do -- for the added cost of the ticket price the 3-D experience is not worth it. The movies are too dark. Frenetic, hyper-edited action sequences become even more of a negative ADD experience.

The only movie I actively bought a 3-D ticket for was James Cameron’s, Avatar. I’ll get to that later.

But first ...

Just where did this obnoxious 3-D crap come from?

From wikipedia:

“The stereoscopic era of motion pictures began in the late 1890s when British film pioneer William Friese-Greene filed a patent for a 3D film process. In his patent, two films were projected side by side on screen (one meant for the left eye to view, one meant for the right eye to view). The viewer looked through astereoscope to converge the two images. Because of the obtrusive mechanics behind this method, theatrical use was not practical.”

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting 3-D to have been around in 1890. Though, it really wasn’t until the 1920’s when a few directors and cinematographers tried to make the process marketable for a then modern audience. Three 3-D films from the twenties - The Men from M.A.R.S., The Power of Love and The Ship of Souls had limited runs. Nothing really peaked audience interest.

The thirties and forties showed little additional interest in 3-D films with each era producing only a handful of 3-D films. Even the arrival of Technicolor didn’t help. A few 3-D films were shot and printed in Technicolor but none of them screened in color and the use of color printing was only to help achieve the red / cyan (blue) 3-D coding effect.

In the early thirties polarized filters (which reduce glare) hit the market as a commercial product. This really helped with the 3-D process but again, wasn’t enough to peak audience interest.

It wasn’t until the 1950’s that 3-D exploded and the time between 1952-1954 was known as the “golden era” of the process. It all began late 1952 with the hit, Bwana Devil -- a drama based on the real life Tsavo Man-Eaters -- a pair of man eating lions responsible for the deaths of a number of construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway from March through December 1898.

From wikipedia:

“As with practically all of the features made during this boom, Bwana Devil was projected dual-strip, with Polaroid filters. During the 1950s, the familiar disposable anaglyph glasses made of cardboard were mainly used for comic books ...

Because the features utilized two projectors, a capacity limit of film being loaded onto each projector (about 6,000 feet, or an hour's worth of film) meant that an intermission was necessary for every feature-length film. Quite often, intermission points were written into the script at a major plot point.”

To make a long story short -- 3-D suddenly boomed. In 1953, House of Wax, landed in the year’s top ten at the box office, the first time ever for a 3-D film. House of Wax also catapulted and forever typecast legendary actor, Vincent Price into the role of creepy horror film guy.

Alas, the “golden era” was short lived. Endless problems occurred with 3-D technology, the prints, and the time management to run the films. A few of the issues:

The silver projection screen was directional and caused sideline seating to be unusable.

The prints had to project simultaneously and remain exactly alike after repair or sync would be lost. If sync was off by even a single frame -- the picture was unwatchable.

Oftentimes theaters had to have two projectionist keep sync.

Mandatory intermission meant less features could be shown daily which resulted in lowered profit for all involved.

By 1955, 3-D films were gone from theaters.

Thankfully 3-D went away forever, never to return!

Ugh. I wish. There was an explosion of 3-D in the eighties and suddenly, horror films thought all “third” films should be 3-D -- Jaws 3-D, Amityville Horror 3-D, Friday the 13th 3 in 3-D -- you get the picture.

Disney caught on and released Magic Journey and Captain EO (starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola) in special venues at their theme parks. In the mid eighties IMAX began producing non-fiction films in their 70mm format and pushed as a key point for their 3-D films vs. traditional 3-D -- the IMAX process, then and now, emphasized mathematical correctness of the 3-D rendition and thus largely eliminated the eye fatigue that resulted from the approximate geometries of previous 3-D incarnations.

3-D was back and it was here to stay!

Except, no -- it wasn’t.

3-D, like the tide, waxed and waned all throughout the decade but for the most part had faded from mainstream use by the nineties. It’s true that 3-D stayed alive through special attractions throughout the entire nineties but just as the fifties, it mostly faded from mainstream cinema.

The next resurgence of 3-D began in 2003, with the release of James Cameron’s, Ghosts of the Abyss released as the first full-length 3-D Disney / IMAX feature and filmed with theReality Camera System. This camera system, built by Cameron and Vince Pace used the latest HD video cameras, not film to produce the 3-D effect.

The film joined James Cameron, actor Bill Paxton and a team of the world’s foremost historical and marine experts as they journey underwater to the site of wrecked ship, the Titanic. The film was a colossal critical and commercial success.

And suddenly studios were interested in 3-D. Again. Studios began experimenting in releasing both a 2-D print and a 3-D print for their high profile products. The Polar Express (2005) was the first feature length animated film released in both prints with the 3-D version pulling in about 25% of the films total box office. Which was enough to raise 3-D interest from other studios.

Over the course of the next decade studios went 3-D crazy. Selected large budget films were released in both 2-D and 3-D, old films were re-released with a post production 3-D process and handful of films were specifically shot in 3-D cameras.

Which brings me to …

James Cameron’s, “Avatar.”

Much has been written about the herculean effort Cameron put into Avatar. Entire books, movies, documentaries and short films can be found. I offer only a few tidbits for context:

James Cameron spent twelve years developing technology improving 3-D cameras in order to shoot Avatar. He is the only director who seems to fully understand that the 3-D process makes your film darker. And so what did he do?

Well, he spent six months working with botanists, creating an ecologically accurate planet to set his story in. A planet that has glowing flora. So even when the 3-D process darkened his film for all those nights scenes the entire film is still brightly lit do to the glowing plants all over the planet!

I want to make that last point clear. He didn’t just want glowing plants all over the planet -- because that would be easy to accomplish. He wanted his planet to work. And so he spent months working with scientists to make sure the plants he showed would be one hundred percent ecologically accurate. He wanted the planet to be able to survive -- if it had been a real planet.

Which is amazing and it’s only a few of the reasons that Cameron’s Avatar remains one of the monumental directing achievements in all of world cinema.

Not that it’s without flaws. I’ll be the first person to admit that I think the script to Avatar is awful and the acting, for the most part, is adequate to incompetent. That being said, the film was a must see movie event in 2009. But you had to see it in 3-D. Cameron spent so long working in 3-D that he just seems to be the only working American filmmaker to just -- get it.

In fact, of all the movies that have gone on to gross a billion dollars only one of them is an original story idea -- James Cameron’s Avatar. All the other movies in the billion plus club are sequels and franchise films.

Which says something (probably that Cameron was the first and only person to knock the novelty 3-D process out of the park).

Which brings us to today …

The “Avatar” resurgence has faded. 3-D is dying. Again.

It had a good run. But IMAX is right. Consumers, by and large, greatly prefer 2-D movie events. 3-D comes and goes and comes and goes and it never amounts to anything more than a novelty. 3-D was huge in the early fifties but, because it was a novelty, was gone in two years. 3-D had a resurgence in the eighties but, because it was a novelty, was gone in several years. 3-D had a second resurgence with Cameron’s technology achievement in the early 2000’s but, because it’s a novelty, has faded and will probably be gone in another three or five years.

Novelties, it seems, make a lot of money in short bursts but audiences quickly get tired of them. 3-D may be fading but if history repeats itself (again), I can almost guarantee you we’ll see another resurgence of 3-D -- oh-- somewhere around 2040.

Your dog is going to love it here! No leash laws are enforced. We have a large fenced in areas for your dog to run around and roll in the dirt in equal measure! I promise you there will be an endless stream of dogs for your canine family member to socialize with.

Off leash dog parks are great but there are plenty of ins and outs that should be respected. I have a thirteen pound mutt named Frodo (pictured above). I am lucky enough to work at a place where I can bring him to the office every day. I am also lucky enough to have the gorgeous Alimagnet Dog Park five blocks from my work location.

I bring Frodo to the dog park a lot. As much as three times a day. Usually we get in a fifteen minute visit before work, a thirty minute visit on my lunch break and a thirty to forty five minute visit after work. Three times a day, five days a week (as well as a time or two on the weekends). Multiply that by the two years my little furry companion and I have hung out together. That, my friend, is a great many trips to the dog park (almost two thousand).

Which is why I have a lot to say about the topic. I see doggie malfeasance multiple times per week and it’s usually because the owner has done something dumb. I do not claim to be a Dog Whisperer but because of my extensive dog park visits I have a lot of common sense canine wisdom to offer. Most of it based on personal observation and some based on a copious amount of internet research. With that in mind, here are some doggie dos and don’ts while you and your canine companions visit off leash dog parks.

Do Not Bring Treats Into An Off Leash Dog Park!

Dogs like to know their place in the world. They like to know who is in charge, and if they are not the dog in charge it makes them comfortable to know their place in the doggie hierarchy. And this is important because the dogs that is in charge controls the resources.

At least that’s how it plays out in doggie world. Alpha dogs control the resources and then they allow dogs below them to partake of their resources. It’s the way of dog.

And now you’ve brought treats into the dog park. And it’s for selfish reasons -- you want the dogs to like you! Well, they will. They will swarm you. Dogs can smell your treat from a mile away.

The problem is that dogs with alpha personalities will want the treats (the resources) first. It confuses them if THEY KNOW they are the alpha dog and you are not recognizing it. And so you pass treats out willy-nilly to all the dogs you can reach. And so it goes -- Alpha Dog wants the treat and you give it to another dog. Alpha dog thinks, “The was MY treat!” This is a recipe for an instant dog fight.

This is an extreme example, it’s true. The overwhelming majority of the time you bring treats to the dog park, nothing bad will happen. Dogs will eat the treats, dogs will like you. But still, I’ve seen plenty of dogs fights over treats.

So there’s just no great reason to bring them to the dog park.

Pay Attention To Your Dog! All! The! Time!

Dogs are dogs. They don’t make good or bad decisions. They make dog decisions. You can not take your dog to an off leash park and then read a book, check your text messages or flirt with girls for twenty minutes all the while completely ignoring your dog and (more importantly) your dog’s behavior.

Your dog might be too aggressive. Your dog might be too submissive. Your dog might be getting bullied and is desperately giving you signals for help. Or, your dog might be the bully. But how would you know unless you pay attention

An off leash dog park is NOT a place where you can let you dog run wild with zero human supervision. You, the human, must monitor your dog at all times to watch for over aggressive or over submissive behavior. That’s one of your prime responsibilities as a dog owner.

If you notice “bad” behavior -- separate your dog immediately from the situation, calm your dog down and try again. Remember that young dogs will have a much easier time adapting to canine socialization than older dogs. Older rescue dogs come with canine baggage and a lot of times have been abused. So, while it’s true that dogs are social animals, some have been raised poorly and might not be able to handle an off leash park. But in order for you to know if your dog is right for the park, you have to pay attention to your canine, all the time.

So pay attention. And while you are paying attention ...

Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop. No, Seriously. Like - Every Single Time!

If you are not paying attention to your dog you will not notice when it poops. And it’s your responsibility to pick up after your dog.

And if you don’t want to pick up after your dog then don’t go to a dog park.

Ever.

Watch Out For Dog Obsession.

I didn’t even know this was a thing until I started attending dog parks. Dogs can get obsessed with another dog. Like stalker, rapey obsessed.

I see it all the time. Usually the obsession happens with a dog smaller than they. Frodo, for some reason, gets easily obsessed with five to eight pound fluffy yorkies and / or fluffy tiny poodles. And when Frodo is obsessed with a tiny, fluffy pooch, Frodo will not leave that poor dog alone! Frodo will ignore all other stimuli and follow that fluffy dog and sniff them and chase them and wrestle them and nip play with them and chew on their ears and try to hump dominate them at all times. Now I know the signs to watch for and I pull him away immediately when I see the obsession set it. But for a good long while I deluded myself into thinking, “They’re just playing.”

Obsessive dog behavior is not healthy dog play. Dog obsession will not stop unless you, the human, does something about it. If your dog exhibits obsession it’s best to pull your dog out of the situation and / or leash your canine and go somewhere else for a while.

What To Do In the Face of Aggressive Dog Behavior

I see aggressive dog behavior all the time. Some of it is innocent -- an overly energetic dog plays too hard and accidentally hurts another dog. I have seen actual aggressive dogs -- a white German Shepherd ran through the dog park and attacked three or four small dogs while the owner frantically chased after the Shepherd. But exceptionally bad experiences, such as the German Shepherd one, are very rare.

If dogs exhibit aggressive behavior -- leash them and / or remove them from the area immediately. Within thirty seconds your dog will be back to normal. Aggressive dog behavior can lead to dog fights. And dog fights suck. To be honest, they don’t happen often and when they do it’s usually posturing and not an actually bloody fight.

Here is a video showing a dog park scuffle. As the video says, “Sounds bad. Looks bad. No dog was actually harmed.” Most dog fights aren’t actual fights, per se. They are more like dogs jostling for position. That being said, you can see in the video that one dog is standing on top of the other dog for like ten seconds as both dogs stare into each others faces. The owners, frankly, should have separated those dogs immediately. And it looks as if one of the owners was trying to do just that BUT was one second too late and the dog fight occurred.

Again, if you see aggressive dog behavior remove your dog from the situation immediately before it leads to something worse.

And, of course, if your dog was the attacked the other dog owner will still blame your dog for being aggressive.

And that’s because …

Dog Owners Are Crazy People!

It’s true. The only people crazier are parents blindly defending their children (when it is obvious their child is in the wrong). Dog owners are like that.

Dog owners will insist their perfect, loving, charming, beautiful, kind, mellow [Dog Breed Name Here] would never, ever cause another living creature any harm. Ever. And if their perfect dog happens to act aggressive towards your dog -- the owner will, one hundred percent of the time -- blame your dog.

If you happen to notice that your dog is getting into a lot of fights -- it’s probably not the fault of all the other dogs at the park. It’s probably -- your dog! So you should do something about that up to and including, not taking your dog to an off leash park.

Off leash dog parks are not for every canine. Some dogs, usually older rescue dogs are too scared, submissive or over protective. These poor doggies will run havoc at an off leash park.

Know your dog and act appropriately. The off leash dog park might not be for you. I have a friend who has the sweetest (fifty pound) rescue dog you can imagine. That dog LOOOOVES people. That dog, also, HAAAAAATES other dogs. My friend found out early on that his loving canine should not ever, ever, ever go to an off leash dog park.

It would be bad.

And to be honest, that’s kind of the hard part. Recognizing that your dog has issues. Yes, dogs are animals. But they are animals capable of a wide range of emotions and feelings. It’s up to you, the human, to pay attention to your dog, know its body language, clean up after your pup and to try not act like a crazy person who lives in dog aggression denial.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I must away and take Frodo to the dog park!

Our newsfeeds are bombarded with so many stories about excessive use of force within the police department that it’s almost shocking to read something about cops that is the exact opposite. Now, I know that the vast majority of good deeds cops do go unreported because they are not sensational stories. The headline, “Cop does something nice” does not sell much of anything. And so there is a silent majority of cops that do their jobs and get little to no fanfare. And much has been written about the more and more common tragedy of a law enforcement officer shooting an unarmed civilian. But that’s not what I’m here to do today. Today I went and found a “cops do something nice” story. And I’m going to tell you all about it.

Meet: Heroes, Cops and Kids. A community organization comprised of Dallas Police officers, teachers and other community leaders created to be positive role models for the community and its kids. From their website, “We strive to promote good behavior, good decision making and to teach coping mechanisms for peer pressure.”

Well, that sounds delightful. BUT -- the cynical side of my brain immediately thought, “I bet it’s kind of racist. I bet it’s a bunch of white cops that go into poor black neighborhoods and tell the kids to stay off crack.”

Right?

Hrrmmm. Not exactly. In a moment where I must remind myself that my paranoid lefty-liberal brain is not always correct. (I try not to say that out loud too often -- I have a reputation to protect as a liberal know it all!).

So, what does Heroes, Cops and Kids, do? Well, basically, they dress up as superheroes and visit terminally ill children. They also work with communities to build positive relationships between the police and the community. A portion of their mission statement from the Heroes, Cops and Kids website:

"...WE CATER TO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, CHRONIC ILLNESSES OR BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS TO ENRICH THEIR LIVES AND ENERGIZE THEIR HEARTS ...

WE ARE A CHARITABLE, TAX EXEMPT, 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION. WE DON'T RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ANY STATE OR LOCAL AGENCY. WE SOLELY RELY ON VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL.

WE'LL BRING "THE STORM" TO ANY BULLY THAT STEPS IN OUR WAY! WE SUPPORT THE ANTI-BULLY MOVEMENT AND TEACH PROPER RESPONSE AND REPORTING OF BULLIES!

THIS ORGANIZATION INCLUDES A DIVERSE BACKGROUND OF INDIVIDUALS WHOM HAVE DEDICATED THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES TO STOP BULLYING!”

Cole’s Twitter account is littered with photos of his visits to children’s hospitals, some of which he flies to and some of which he drives a thousand miles to get there in time. All on his own dime. Of course, now, through his charity he can accept donations. And I hope it works because he has literally spent tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars costuming and tech'ing up -- his car, the costumes, his Batman costume alone has multiple gadgets and his War Machine costume has speakers that can blare music from within the armor. Which, apparently, the kids love.

In a fun, “life imitates art” moment, Cole, dressed as Batman for an off duty charity event, busted a man shoplifting DVD’s -- one of which was, “The Lego Batman Movie.”

Now, through his charity Cole can accept donations. He also has a team of volunteers that support, assist and costume up on their own. Reading about their organization, watching their videos and scrolling through their photos -- well, it even warms my dark liberal heart. I seriously love these people.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the duo directors behind The Lego Movie and the Jump Street film (revival) have been removed from production of the Untitled Star Wars Han Solo film after seventeen weeks of principle photography. Seventeen weeks! With only five weeks left of shooting, production shut down until replacement director, Ron Howard, stepped in to pick up the pieces.

According to the Hollywood Reporter:

“Several sources close to the movie and others close to the directors tell EW that ever since filming began back in February, Lord and Miller, who are known primarily for wry, self-referential comedies like 21 Jump Street and the pilot episodes for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Last Man on Earth, began steering the Han Solo movie more into the genre of laughs than space fantasy.

According to some sources, the split was a subtle one that became magnified over time: Lucasfilm and producer Kennedy believed Lord and Miller were hired to add a comedic touch; Lord and Miller believed they were hired to make a comedy.”

Okay. Fair enough. I see the potential for disaster there. Another issue was that Lord and Miller have been known to allow significant improvisation on the set of their previous films. Which is precisely what they did on this set, too! Super screenwriter and Star Wars royalty Lawrence Kasdan (writer - Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens and the Untitled Han Solo Film), was none too pleased at the dailies coming back from set. The entire story line, it seemed, had been significantly derailed, due to the improvisational direction that Lord and Miller had taken.

Writer / Executive Producer Kasdan stepped in with a, “Stick to the script” note. A note, apparently, the directors thought was just a suggestion. Lord and Miller ignored the note. Finally, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm Ltd., fired Lord and Miller after seventeen weeks of filming. Seventeen weeks!

You keep saying “seventeen weeks” as if that’s significant. What’s up with that?

It is significant! Directors aren’t fired after seventeen weeks. Ever! If they’re fired at all, they’re fired after a week or two. Or three or four. It doesn’t take seventeen weeks to figure out that the movie isn’t working! That can’t be the only reason for the removal of the directors after about 80 percent of principle photography.

Seems suspicious. Or, as Bill and Ted would say, “Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K!”

Strange things indeed. The only other (potential) negative rumor coming out of the Han Solo film camp was that lead actor, Alden Ehrenreich (young Han Solo), didn’t have the acting chops they at first thought. According to the popular online movie news source The Wrap:

"Matters were coming to a head in May as the production moved from London to the Canary Islands. Lucasfilm replaced editor Chris Dickens (Macbeth) with Oscar-winner Pietro Scalia, a veteran of Ridley Scott films including Alien: Covenant and The Martian. And, not entirely satisfied with the performance that the directors were eliciting from Rules Don't Apply star Alden Ehrenreich, Lucasfilm decided to bring in an acting coach. Lord and Miller suggested writer-director Maggie Kiley, who worked with them on 21 Jump Street."

As has been pointed out by many sources, adding an acting coach is not unusual. But acting coaches are usually on set from day one and/or brought on by the actor themselves. Some actors have worked with the same acting coach for years, or decades, and work with them on set. But it’s certainly unusual to bring an acting coach in so late into production.

So, while it appears there were difficulties behind the scenes, even that is nothing new. If you’ve ever worked on set you know that making movies is controlled chaos, at best. There are no mystical properties that a director possesses. Directing is paperwork, organization, collaboration and making choices. In fact, the only solo choice a director adds to the production without collaboration from anyone else is tone. The tone of movie is decided by the director. Unless, of course, you work for Disney. Or Lucasfilm Ltd. In which case they will fire your ass if you change the tone of their films. Just sayin.

And now we have little Ronnie Howard piloting the fate of young Han Solo. How much of the original footage Howard will be able to use is unknown. It would probably be too expensive to reshoot the majority of the film. Besides, these tent pole flagship movies have marketed release dates to keep! It’s true that all huge films like this have time and money budgeted for the inevitable reshoots but this situation is unprecedented.

Ron Howard will have to make due with a lot of footage that Lord and Miller produced, and he probably won’t get any extended amount of time to complete the picture. It should make for an interesting challenge. And hopefully, an interesting movie.

So, I'm sorry, Mr. Howard, but you will probably have to make due with what time is left for production. But in Hollywood, much as on Broadway, as they say -- the show must go on.

NOTE: This story is developing and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

Update: This story was written a few weeks before the passing of George Romero. I may not like anything Mr. Romero has created in recent years but we will always have the Holy Trilogy of zombie films. And man-o-zombie do I love those three films! I was always partial to "Dawn of" but recent viewings of "Day of" have significantly warmed me to its horror charm (where charm = Bub!). Mr. Romero, literally, changed the face of filmmaking. Before "Night of" zombies were afterthought monsters in little seen bad horror films (that I love). Now zombies are mainstream fucking everywhere, watched by hundreds of millions -- especially in bad horror films (that I love!). Mr. Romero is gone and there will never be another (good or bad) true, "of the Dead" film. BUT ... perhaps ... one day a crazy madman genius will perfect a resurrection machine -- and perhaps that mad scientist will raise Mr. Romero -- and perhaps it will all go spectacularly wrong and zombie Mr. Romero himself will usher in a hubris driven mad science zombie apocalypse! Where I will be one of the awesome survivors in a world gone "of the Dead!" Maybe you'll be there with me. Together we go forth -- murdering the hell out of zombies left and right! But until that glorious day -- rest in peace, Zombie Maestro.

Zombie maestro George Romero, director of the classic "of the Dead" trilogy - Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985), is still alive and kicking. And he’s making another zombie flick!

While some might rejoice at the very idea of the hundred and ninety-eight year old (not actual age) horror director making another movie -- I don’t seem able to find a shred of “care” anywhere inside my soul. Once upon a time we had a single zombie voice in the world of cinema. And the voice was pretty compelling. Now we are over saturated with thousands of zombie voices in the world of TV and cinema - many good, many bad but to be honest, most of them are just adequate.

Which is fine. I dig zombies as much as the next horror buff. I even watch bad ones. Like -- from beginning to end. I can't seem to bring myself to give a shit about the new Twin Peaks, which, to me, plays out like a bad daffy duck cartoon. But if you sit me in front of Zombies of Madison County IV and I will watch that shit. No accounting for taste, I guess.

But as for Romero keeping up with a new, young breed of horror filmmakers I just don't see it. Especially as evidence by has three misfires of recent years - Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009), all of which seem they were filmed by low IQ Romero imitators.

But, nope. All written and directed by the zombie maestro himself.

Call it ageism but I seriously doubt that old dudes can make genre pictures for teenagers. You might be able to convince me that Spielberg has it in him to make family friendly young adult (and / or kid) movies. But Romero is no Spielberg.

I just don’t believe the crushing majority of old men filmmakers can keep up with what’s really relevant to today’s youth, culture and counter-cultures. And do you know who watches horror films? Mainly -- the coveted target audience - 18-24 year olds.

I am immediately reminded of Woody Allen’s worst film - Anything Goes (2003) upon which Mr. Allen tries to write dialog for twenty year olds. Mr. Allen, being at the time sixty-seven years young. Sure -- it’s possible a sixty-seven year old white man can write believable dialog for a twenty year old girl, but very unlikely. And in the case of Anything Goes -- obviously, Allen can’t. (I will also go out on a limb and say Jason Biggs & Christina Ricci give two bumbling performances, which certainly doesn’t help the believability of the screenplay. So it’s not entirely Mr. Allen’s writing that is at fault. It’s also, his directing!).

As for modern zombie movies? Romero just can’t keep up it seems. And has lost the touch he once had when creating his original trilogy. Of course what audiences wanted back then is much different from what they want now.

And if Romero honestly can’t understand why directors like David Fincher get the nod to make World War Z II and Romero doesn’t -- well, then he doesn’t understand it.

But I sure do.

Mr. Romero -- you’ve had a great run. And you might have good films left in you. But your new proposal for Road of the Dead doesn’t sound like one of them. Please. Stop. Making. Zombie. Movies.

But hey, Dear Reader, don't take my word for it. Let me know if this sounds like the zombie movie you’ve always been waiting for:

“In the darkest days of the zombie apocalypse, the last safe place on earth is anything but, as a mad despot uses the spectacle of high-octane carnage to keep control of his populace” — suggests a “Mad Max” vibe. It also serves to remind that, from “Dawn” to “Day” to “Land” and now “Road,” the decades-old franchise is ever-changing.”

“There was a sequence in ‘Survival of the Dead’ where there’s a zombie that’s behind the wheel of a car, and Matt (Romero's new director) proposed an idea: ‘How about zombies that know how to drive!?'” Romero explained over the phone during a 4th of July interview. (He lives in Canada, where he’s a permanent resident.) That setup is certainly in keeping with some of the biggest action movies in recent years, a connection Romero readily copped to: “It’s ‘Fast and the Furious’ with zombies at the wheel.”

Wow. You read that right, "Zombies that know how to drive."

I don’t know about you -- but I can not wait to never watch that movie.

Despite the fact that in 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday -- here I am. At work. Writing about the paid federal holiday.

Which is my choice. I have come in on a national holiday for the sole purpose of entertaining you. The dear reader. On a day, traditionally, where pretty much no one reads news.

That’s just how I roll.

Um, that’s great. So why are you here, then?

Because it’s the Day of Independence. We get plenty of the 4th of July in movies and they usually revolve around alien invasions or overly patriotic war movies. To celebrate the day -- some of us watch fireworks. Most of us eat -- like, a lot. Case in point, when I leave work I will attend two separate grilling events! Because the 4th of July, like many holidays, has been watered down to mean nothing more than food (and in this case -- fireworks).

Such is life.

But it’s not just a day to eat fine grillery and to watch fireworks with kids. It’s also the celebration of the exact date when members of Congress signed the Declaration of Independence way back in 1776 and began the Revolutionary War!

Er -- well -- that’s not exactly true, either.

That sounds suspicious. And anti-American. What are you talking about?

Well, we celebrate the signing of our Independence on July 4th, so it would reason that the signing happened on -- well -- July 4th. But that’s a bit historically unclear. In 1776, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2nd, not the 4th. Then, Congress debated the wording of the Declaration of Independence for two days, finally approving it on July 4th. John Adams, one of our fine founding fathers, wrote to his wife Abigail:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

To even further complicate matters -- the Colonies had already been at war with the British for a year! Which means the Revolutionary War began before Congress formally declared independence. Perhaps we should celebrate Independence Day on the first day of the Revolutionary War, which would be -- The Shot Heard Round the World -- on April 19th, 1775?

So it’s all a little murky and for some reason we have latched onto July 4th as the day, and that’s what it shall remain for as long as we are around. For better or worse, Brexit 1776 is now, and forever will be -- that 4th day in July.

And to that I say to you -- Happy Independence Day. On July 4th.

Uh-oh. You’re going to end with something depressing, aren’t you?

Well, we should also try to remember that any country's independence is filled with, not just patriots and parades, but also fraught with death and bloodshed. Or in the case of our country -- genocide and slavery. I am not trying to push a moral platitude, just a reminder that there is always a price.

The founding fathers politically paved the way for our independence. I also believe that the disenfranchised, the downtrodden and the displaced are as equally as responsible for our independence, since we built the country on their backs or on their graves. I wish I could offer them more than empty words. And fireworks.

We regret to announce the passing of Captain Joyce Riley. Joyce was host of The Power Hour, one of our longest running shows. I did not know her personally and so thought it best to let her colleagues over at The Power Hour tell you about her life.

In Memory of Joyce Riley 1948-2017

The very definition of a Baby Boomer…the Riley family welcomed a bouncing baby girl three summers after the Japanese surrendered to end World War II. Born on 7/31/1948 Joyce came to the World in the usual way – to a typical American family outside of Arkansas City, Kansas on the border with Oklahoma. Fittingly, she was born in the heart of the United States…because eventually she would capture the hearts of millions of People around the world.

Her Father owned a pharmacy while her mother was a stay-at-home mom. She was the oldest of three children. If you knew Joyce you would probably know the one thing she liked more than being on the Power Hour was quilting. That love came honestly as she inherited from her Master Quiltsman Mother. Undoubtedly her father’s involvement in the medical community influenced her career decisions. The tragedy of her family came when one of her younger brothers died unexpectedly. It was a sore that in some ways tore at the emotional fabric of her family her entire life.

As a young woman she was determined to make some mark in the world. The tenacity we grew to love brought her all the way to the University of Kansas. “Rock, chalk, Jayhawk,” rolled off her tongue like it belonged. Her passion to help those who couldn’t always help themselves was embedded in her makeup. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and went far…in a wide range of nursing duties in the private sector.

Her expertise and willingness to serve landed her in the Air Force. Joyce became a Flight Nurse aboard C-130 missions in support of Operation Desert Storm. The kinship she felt with those in uniform is a lasting legacy. The experimentation she endured and witnessed changed her forever. A champion of the forgotten men and women of the Desert Storm era may be the badge of honor she cherished the most.

Before she would bring the plight of the Iraq War era soldier to the masses she took several important stands. And stands…and stands in the face of brutal scrutiny. While employed at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio Joyce became involved in Nursing medical Malpractice issues after learning Nurse Genene Jones was responsible for the deaths of many children in the well-publicized “Baby Death” case. Until her health would no longer permit she was an expert witness for both plaintiff and defense medical cases. She has presented at the National Institutes of Health, and many legal conferences including the American trial Lawyers Association.

Her expertise and crucial voice lead her to the radio and well over 1500 radio guest appearances. From 1996-1999 with her husband Dave von Kleist, she travelled the country as an advocate for the American Gulf War Veterans Association. With Agent Orange reports, Miracle II Soap, and crucial info for veterans throughout the nation GulfWarVets.com exploded in its effort to assist Vets in need. In the Spring of 2000 The Power Hour Radio Show landed on the GCN Network. With her exuberant husband by her side Joyce laid the path for the modern independent media movement. The Power Hour became synonymous with blowing the lid off of our less than honest reality. “It’s all about the Truth!”, “Doing the next, right and honorable thing,” “Knowledge is power!”, “Caring about your world,” were all well-deserved and well-used catch phrases.

With the tenacity of a bulldog, an unusual wit and a special Midwestern charm Joyce endeared herself to a massive audience. The advent and success of the truth media can be traced directly to The Power Hour and the Nation of People who called it home. Her pursuit of natural treatments for her Cancer diagnosis will long be admired and used in coming generations. She is survived by an adoring body of listeners and advocates who have found the world a better place by having Joyce in it. So many owe so much to this giant in the communication world. Ever private with so much personal information it is proper now to note she has one brother and one son from an early marriage remaining.

The shadow is long and the path is well worn following the Voice of our Joyce. Whether quilting or twirling a baton or questioning the highest government bodies on the planet, Joyce Riley will forever be in our universe. The Power Hour Nation sleeps with heavy hearts this night as her mortal struggle is over and a new world has begun for her. It is easy to imagine her tracking down some unsuspecting former character who was responsible for so much suffering in this world and giving them a piece of her mind…that is in between twirling her baton again. Because if there is one thing we know…no army can stop an idea whose time has come and no one will ever forget Capt’n Joyce Riley.